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Friday, October 16, 2009

Like many communities across the US, the city of Oak Brook, Illinois is struggling with library funding issues. One of the key loudmouths in that debate has been Constantine "Connie" Xinos. Before I discuss his behavior, I would like to point out that I am very biased on the issue of public libraries. They are a great public service and I will consistently vote to keep them well funded. Part of that is based on the fact that I use the library a great deal. I read a lot and probably go through 75-100 books in a year. My wife is even worse and can easily double that output. Our daughter also likes to read a fair amount. If we had to buy every book we read, I doubt we could afford it. I usually just buy books I can't get at the library or the ones from authors I really like and want to support.

"Connie," like other people in his community, was concerned about the amount be spent on the library. Unlike a normal person, he was an absolute prick about making his point.

"I don't care that you guys miss the librarian, and she was nice, and she helped you find books," Xinos told them.

Nice. And this gem directed at a kid that was upset:

"I wanted that kid to lose sleep that night," a grinning Xinos says Wednesday, as he invites me for a nearly two-hour interview in his Mercedes-Benz in the gated Oak Brook community where he lives. "This is the real world and the lesson, you folks who brought your kids here, is if you want something, pay for it."

Oh, and he doesn't just hate the library. This comment in regards to a proposed housing complex for Seniors:

"I don't want to live next to poor people. I don't want poor people in my town."

At least he never had any kids:

Xinos, who says he never had children in part because he wasn't sure he'd be able to support them, sprinkles the F-word throughout his conversations. He dismisses a recent library event involving dogs with a blunt three-word rant in which he bookends swear words around the word "that."

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comments:

Libraries are important for liberty and democracy. It is open and public access to information. The democratization of knowledge. I actually strongly believe that is *is* the duty of government to fund libraries for that very reason.

And then there are ass-hats like this guy, with a chip on their shoulder and a sense of entitlement. I for one am thrilled that he doesn't have kids because I can't imagine how he'd treat them or how they'd turn out.

Really, this is just a guy saying shitty stuff to get attention. Daddy must not have played catch with him enough.

I hear you, Monk. And I will add that even labor unions, beloved bastion of democratic might, has slipped into the trap. In my line of work I have found them opposing legislation that helps people, but because it would force them to do likewise (or do something they already do), they won't. I got mine.

To be fair Smitty, Unions try and do what is best for their members. That may go against what is best for everyone or even some of the members. They are far from perfect, but I think that overall they are beneficial.

Fortunately Carnegie, another rich dude, didn’t feel the same as this jerk.

The library in my home town was a Carnegie Library, so I am thankful too, despite the fact that Carnegie was motivated primarily to do this so he could avoid the huge estate taxes that were in effect at that time.

If I am interested in hanging out with you guys, I am the interloper, not wanting to cause any restrictions in personal behavior. I was just a little amazed at first, but believe me, I don't want to cause any slowdown in what ever way in this fascinating discussion.

ps, an interesting question, my company might transfer me to Milwaukee, do you guys hang out in real life?

And this is one reason why I see both libraries AND public schools so important. After the War of Northern Invasion (hehe) there was a period of Reconstruction. The Northern people who ran that discovered that most Southern States had virtually no education system for the public. They created one via their control of the legislatures of the time. They also provided them with books. Books printed in the North.

So, the South resented it, and the books were viewed as subversive Yankee propaganda.

To this day a deep distrust of education in general and 'government' schools in specific remains. An extremely sad situation,and one that feeds on itself.

Sounds like this guy became a lawyer because he's addicted to adversarial social encounters, and the practice of law lets him get high for a living. It's a shame there's no good way to phrase "Don't be a giant jackass" in a state bar's ethical guidelines.